Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 42
Adhyāya 375 — समाधिः
Samādhi
क्रमात्ते सम्भवन्तीह पुनरेव व्रजन्ति च एतद्यो न विजानाति मार्गद्वितयमात्मनः
kramātte sambhavantīha punareva vrajanti ca etadyo na vijānāti mārgadvitayamātmanaḥ
依次他们在此受生，又复离去。凡不知此自我之二途——回返之路与解脱之路——者，仍系缚于此轮回。
Lord Agni (in instruction to Vasiṣṭha, the usual Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Cosmology","practical_application":"Teaches discriminative knowledge of the two paths (returning vs liberating) as essential for escaping repeated birth/departure; used as a doctrinal summary for moksha instruction.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Mārgadvaya of Ātman: return (punarāvṛtti) vs release (apunarāvṛtti)","lookup_keywords":["margadvaya","atman gati","punaravritti","devayana pitriyana","moksha"],"quick_summary":"Those on the returning route are born again and depart again; one who fails to know the Self’s twofold path remains within the cycle—making right knowledge a practical necessity for liberation."}
Concept: Knowledge (vijñāna) of the two paths of the Self is pivotal; ignorance sustains repeated birth and departure (saṃsāra).
Application: Cultivate śravaṇa–manana–nididhyāsana on gati and Brahman; align life-practice toward the liberating path through truth, discipline, and knowledge-guided conduct.
Khanda Section: Moksha-shastra / Atma-gati (Doctrine of the soul’s two paths)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A forked road motif: one path loops back into birth and death (a wheel), the other rises into a luminous gate; a teacher points to the two routes while a seeker listens in contemplation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, symbolic composition: a guru instructing a disciple; behind them a bifurcating path—left into a saṃsāra wheel with birth/death vignettes, right into a radiant archirādi gate; bold traditional colors, temple aesthetic","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-embossed forked paths: saṃsāra chakra on one side, luminous moksha gate on the other; central guru-disciple with ornate aureoles; rich reds and greens with gold work","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic chart: two arrows labeled ‘Punarāvṛtti’ and ‘Apunarāvṛtti’; small icons for rebirth cycle vs ascent; calm guru teaching scene, fine linework","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, philosophical allegory: a scholar-teacher in a courtyard pointing to two painted scrolls—one showing a wheel of lives, the other a bright celestial ascent; delicate detailing, muted palette with gold highlights"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सम्भवन्तीह → sambhavanti iha; एतद्यो → etat yaḥ; मार्गद्वितयमात्मनः → mārga-dvitayam ātmanaḥ; क्रमात्ते → kramāt te.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Moksha-dharma summary verses on saṃsāra and mokṣa (same khanda); Agni Purana teachings on jñāna, vairāgya, and dharma as moksha-sādhana (elsewhere)
FAQs
It imparts mokṣa-vidyā: knowledge of the soul’s two routes—one leading to repeated birth-and-death (saṃsāra) and the other leading beyond return (liberation).
Alongside ritual, polity, and arts, the Agni Purāṇa also systematizes metaphysics—here summarizing a core doctrinal map of human destiny (rebirth versus liberation), showing its coverage of philosophical soteriology.
The verse stresses that ignorance of the Self’s true course keeps beings revolving through birth and departure; discernment of the two paths is presented as the turning point toward freedom from karmic return.